John McVeigh (Groom, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) notes the outstanding success of the 2019 Australian Defence Force (ADF) Parliamentary Program;

(2) recognises:

  (a) the opportunity provided to both Senators and Members to participate in the ADF Parliamentary Program to experience the professionalism, skill and dedication of our world-class defence force; and

  (b) the exchange element of the ADF Parliamentary Program, where senators and members host an ADF member during a sitting week in parliament; and

(3) acknowledges the 49 members and senators who participated, including those who hosted one of the 27 ADF members during the October 2019 sitting week.

The 2019 Australian Defence Force Parliamentary Program has again provided the opportunity for both senators and members from the Australian federal parliament to live the experience of those that we are so proud of in our Defence Force—those, of course, from our Army, Navy and Air Force. As the motion outlines, the 2019 parliamentary program has again proven to be a tremendous success, certainly based on the feedback from participants, the feedback from our Defence Force hosts and the contributions from many members in various speeches in this House in recent sittings.

The motion, I think quite rightly, suggests that the House recognises the opportunity provided to senators and members to experience the professionalism, the skill and the dedication of our world-class Defence Force. It also acknowledges the exchange element, where those of us in this House have the opportunity to host members of the Australian Defence Force so that they might see how the parliament works. And, in particular, I think it's an opportunity to acknowledge the members and senators who have participated in that exchange program and the ADF members that were here in the House during the October 2019 sitting week. But, ultimately, this motion is all about recognising the tremendous work of members of the Australian Defence Force.

Various programs are available under the parliamentary program to provide a good overview of those in our Army, Navy and Air Force elements, as I've mentioned, both domestically and internationally. This year I was very fortunate, along with colleagues from government and non-government seats across the country, to participate in the Middle East program, which included time on our main Middle East base, where training is provided, where orientation is provided for those coming and going, and where supplies are organised for our activities right across the Middle East, in association with our coalition partners. Our delegation of three also spent some enlightening days at Camp Taji in Baghdad and in the air with Air Force representatives across much of this region during our deployment. We had the opportunity to travel to and from the Middle East region with members of the Defence Force, both those commencing deployment in the Middle East and those returning either on leave or simply having completed their deployment.

What did we see? Amongst other things, I noted the relatively young age of our Defence Force representatives on deployment in the Middle East—women and men in their 20s and 30s doing something that we can all be proud of, most certainly, but something that puts them in harm's way and incurs personal costs in terms of time away from loved ones and away from their homes. We observed their professionalism; their respect for each other; their respect for us, their guests; their good humour; their hospitality; the camaraderie between them; and their focus on protection, amongst other things, whilst they were hosting us. Most of all, we recognised the risk that they place themselves in. Despite the fact that they are well trained and drilled, the risk remains.

Spending time with them out in the field, travelling with them on aircraft and just sharing a meal in the mess gave us the opportunity to understand their lives, what they're doing for our country, and the cost for them in terms of, as I mentioned earlier, time away from families and loved ones. We recognise their activities. This parliamentary program does give us a unique insight into what they're doing for all of us. And the fact is they are so humble, appreciating our respect and acknowledgement but not demanding it. This is certainly a way in which we can acknowledge them, and I encourage all members and senators to do so in the future.

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